* * *
About two and a half hours after leaving the princess's bedroom, Javan, Advan, Jack, and Lazarah finally saw the massive doorway to King Donovan's throne room. Javan could hardly believe that they were approaching the goal of this whole crazy adventure. This was by far the most bizarre mission he had ever been sent on, and he was eager to get back to Dargod, give the flower to Orvan, and go back to the academy for long relaxing break.
"There it is!" Advan announced. "By this time tomorrow we'll be on our way home!"
"I cannot wait," Javan said. The four of them went straight for the doors expecting to see a few giant guards that would be easy to slip past, but no other major obstacles.
"You said that the rose was underneath Tabby's throne?" Jack asked.
"That's right, lad," he said. "The throne is elevated about twenty feet, but it shouldn't be too hard to climb it."
"Then let's get to it," Javan said. They went into the throne room and Advan pointed to the princess's throne. It was about a hundred yards away from them. They prodded the horses on toward their goal.
"That must be some magic rose," Jack said as they approached, "I can see it from here!"
There was indeed an orange glow coming from underneath the throne. Advan had not noticed any luminescence before.
"That's not the rose," Javan said. "That's a fire."
"A fire?" Advan asked.
"It's normal sized," Javan said. "Which means..."
"Somebody human is there," Lazarah said.
They came close, passing two sleeping giant guards, and saw that there were twenty humans gathered at the foot of the throne. They wore the pitch black uniforms and red capes of the soldiers of Stran.
"Hey!" one of them shouted to his companions. "Incoming!"
"Stranians!" Javan said. "I should have known!"
"I don't care!" Advan said, jumping from the horse. "I have been waiting to kill something for days! Come on, lads! For Dargod!"
Advan was running at the soldiers waving his axe in his left hand and his sword in his right before the others could even prepare for battle. Jack jumped from Lazarah's horse and joined him on the floor while Javan and Lazarah charged the enemy on horse back. Advan reached the soldiers, who were standing ready for battle but did not attack. At the sight of a dwarf charging them wearing a princess's dress and having his long hair braided in pigtails, they burst out laughing. Advan stopped for a moment, realized that he was being mocked, and then went at them with a shout of rage. Five laughing soldiers were cut down almost instantly. The other three joined the fray and soon the twenty soldiers were all dead at their feet.
"That was almost too easy," Javan said. He was not surprised that they had dispatched the enemy so quickly. They were the four fiercest fighters in Dargod. But he was sure that Stran would have sent more then twenty regular soldiers to guard something as important to their invasion plans as that rose. He was right. The sound of the battle had reached the ears of a much larger force waiting above them on the twenty foot step on which the throne sat. No sooner had Javan said that, that a rain of arrows was coming down on them.
"Watch out!" he shouted. Before the four of them could move out of range, both horses had taken arrows to their sides and Advan was shot in the rear. He pulled the arrow out with little more than annoyance and threw it up at the archers. They found a hiding place behind a nearby statue and regrouped.
"Is everyone all right?" Javan asked.
"I always said that Stranians were a pain in the ass!" Advan said with a grin. Javan had often thought Advan enjoyed being wounded in battle.
"How many of them are there?" Lazarah asked.
"Judging by the amount of arrows," Javan said, "at least a dozen archers. Who's to say how many other soldiers are up there waiting though. If we got up there somehow, we might have to face dozens of men, even hundreds."
"They weren't here before," Advan said.
"Maybe they only come out at night," Jack said. "They could have been here for weeks, maybe even months, waiting for someone to come get the flower."
"Or maybe they knew we were coming tonight," Javan said. "Kanaro did say that they were in league with an evil wizard."
"I've had my fill of wizards for one adventure," Advan growled.
"If they have a wizard's assistance," Javan said, "this could be far more difficult than we could have known."
"So what do we do?" Jack asked.
"Lazarah, Jack, how many of those archers do you think you could take out with your bows?" Javan asked.
"All of them," she said, "if we can get a clean shot."
"Good," he told her. "Advan, how do you feel about drawing a little more fire?"
"Give me a horse," the dwarf replied, "and I'll get those archers' attention."
Thirty seconds later Advan was riding Javan's horse back into the open. Sure enough, he drew the fire of the archers. He was careful to stay just beyond their range, but that did not stop the enemy archers from lining the edge of the giant-made cliff to fire at him. They were so distracted by the dwarf that they didn't see Lazarah and Jack move into position and open fire. Soon, the fifteen archers were all dead or wounded.
"Keep firing!" Javan said. "Take out as many of those soldiers up there as you can!"
They were unable to see if there were more soldiers, but they could hear men's cries as they were hit by the arrows. There was no telling how many had been killed, but Javan counted the cries and had determined that there were twenty wounded men up there by the time the arrow supply was exhausted.
The three of them came back to join Javan behind the statue again.
"Good work," he said. "Now we have to get up there and get the rose."
"There are carvings in that platform the throne is on," Advan said. "We could climb it easily, if there were no soldiers waiting to stop us."
"Is there another way up?" Jack asked.
"I'll see," Advan said. He took the horse out again and went towards the throne. He disappeared around the side of the platform. A minute later he came back into view and motioned for the others to follow him.
There was a ladder laid against the edge of the platform about thirty feet back. It was probably what the Stranians had used to get up. With the soldiers in total confusion after the barrage of arrows, it was unguarded. They climbed it, leaving the horses behind. Advan, who was the last to climb, swatted the horses before he climbed up. They ran back out into the throne room. If the Stranians got organized again and started watching for them, they would see the horses and assume that they were still down on the floor.
They came onto the platform just behind the throne and saw the Stranian camp about fifty feet away. There were at least two dozen dead bodies lying about and more than a few wounded, but there were still over fifty armed soldiers reorganizing their positions and looking over the edge for the Dargodians. None of them expected Javan and the others to come from behind them.
The men were centered around three things. A huge fire was casting an orange glow everywhere, a man in a black robe stood unmoving beside the flames, and next to him was a single rose growing out of a crack in the stone floor. It was larger than any other normal flower they had ever seen, but it was still far too small to be native to the giant kingdom.
"What are we waiting for?" Advan asked. "Let's get the blasted thing and get out of here!"
"Wait, old friend," Javan said. "The element of surprise will only get us so far. We are outnumbered more than ten to one."
"We've faced worse odds," Advan said.
"I know that," Javan said. "But do you see that man by the fire? I'm not sure, but I think he may be the wizard. If he is, than we might as well be outnumbered five hundred to one."
"It could be a trick," Lazarah said. "He might just be a regular man in a robe put there to trick us."
"There's only one way to find out," Advan said, "and we can't turn back now. Let's go! If he's a wizard, we'll deal with it."
"How?" Java
n asked, but the dwarf was not listening. He charged at the camp, his weapons swinging wildly, and he had cut down almost ten men before the others joined him. The four of them worked through the soldiers in a vicious fight that lasted nearly ten minutes. Through it all, the man by the fire did not even move. It was almost as if he did not hear the battle going on just a few feet away. When all of the Stranians were dead at their feet, the warriors moved together towards the fire and the rose.
Only then did the figure by the fire move. He turned to them and pulled back his hood revealing the face of an old man with a flowing silver beard and a bald head. His eyes burned bright red and a grin spread across his wizened face that sent chills down their spines. He laughed, and the sound echoed off of the distant walls of the throne room.
"It is the wizard," Javan said.
Advan charged the wizard who merely pointed a finger at three nearby corpses. They rose up from the ground and came at the dwarf. They were still dead, each bearing the wound that had killed him. Advan was facing a large man with no head, another missing his arm with blood gushing from a wound in his neck, and a third with an arrow sticking out of his eye. He sliced and chopped, delivering wound after wound, but they kept coming. Only when he had cut their arms and legs from their body did they stop attacking him, though every part still moved on its own.
The other three came to his aid, but the wizard simply reanimated more dead soldiers. They found themselves surrounded by a small army of mutilated corpses that were impossible to kill since they were already dead. They had never faced such foes and soon they had been disarmed and surrounded as the zombies took their weapons and dragged the warriors before the evil wizard.
"I expected you days ago," the wizard told them.
"We were detained," Javan replied evenly.
"Ah yes," the wizard chuckled. "Such a precious child, isn't she? No matter. You are here now, and now you will die. You will never get the rose petal to Orvan and he will continue to deteriorate into madness. Stran will control Dargod, then the Fairy Kingdom, and soon the entire world."
"And you control Stran?" Javan said.
"Not exactly," he replied. "I am merely a... consultant. But with my position as the king's advisor secure, I might as well be king myself. Once all of nuisances are out of the way, we can make the world what we want it to be. And the first nuisance in my way is the four of you!"
He reached into his robe and pulled out a golden wand. The warriors struggled against their zombie guards to no avail. They had failed. They would die here and after them, the whole known world would fall. There was nothing that they could do.
"I know exactly how to deal with you," the wizard said. "Menen. Kiloirm. Justinin..."
They closed their eyes and braced themselves for whatever spell was about to be cast on them. Then they heard loud and familiar screech. The wizard screamed in rage. They opened their eyes to see that Mr. Prickles had jumped onto the wizard's back and was reaching for his wand.
"I don't believe it!" Jack said. With the wizard distracted, the zombies had frozen. The warriors shook free of their grip. They grabbed their weapons and cut the dead guards down. When they were finished they saw the most unusual sight. The chimpanzee had taken the wizard's wand and was pointing it at him menacingly.
"Now, now, Mr. Prickles," the wizard said, "let's not do anything rash."
The monkey grinned and flicked the wand. The wizard screamed as his body writhed and twisted. The four warriors watched in awe as the evil wizard was transformed into a banana nearly a foot long. There was no mouth on the fruit, but they could still hear his screams as the monkey devoured him in one bite. Then he turned to the others. He pointed the wand at them.
"What do you think he intends to do with that?" Advan asked.
Javan walked slowly to the chimp. He held out his hand. "Mr. Prickles, give me the wand. Please?"
The monkey shook his head and stuck out his tongue at Javan.
"This isn't good," Jack said.
Mr. Prickles turned to the fire and flicked the wand. There was a flash of light and the fire was replaced with a man wearing a forest green robe. He walked towards them, pulled back his hood and revealed himself to be the Mad Forester.
"Well done, noble beast," the Forester said. Mr. Prickles bowed reverently and then gave the evil wizard's wand to him. "Thank you."
"You?" Advan asked. "I thought we were done with you!"
"Calm yourself, little man," the Forester said. "If it wasn't for me, you would all be dead!"
"We did this without you," Jack told him.
"But not without him," the wizard said, pointing to the monkey. "Remember when I touched him before you left my forest?"
"You gave him intelligence?" Javan said. The Forester nodded. "So you helped us."
"Sort of," the Forester said. "I couldn't care less what happens to Dargod or Stran or any other human kingdom. But I knew that you would be facing Gittheros here."
"Gittheros?" Javan asked. "You mean the evil wizard?"
"He stole my wand from me years ago," the Forester said. "I may be a powerful wizard without it, but with it, I have magic that cannot be equaled. So I gave your noble companion the power and know how necessary to defeat him, take the wand back, and give it to me. Because I was so impressed with the dwarf's ingenious riddle, I also let him assist you. Now, I have my wand back, you can take the rose to Orvan, and all is well."
"I suppose we should thank you," Javan said.
"No thanks is necessary," he said. "I got more out of this than you did."
Javan went over to the rose and prepared to pick it.
"Do not take the whole flower, Monkey Man," the Mad Forester said. "Just one petal will do. That flower has grown there for a thousand years and has helped countless people. If you pick it completely, its power dies."
Javan nodded and took one petal from the flower. He put it into his pocket.
"Friends," he said, "let's go home."
They headed back to where the ladder was. Before they could climb down though, Mr. Prickles had jumped into the Forester's arms and seemed to whisper into his ear. The wizard nodded.
"Very well," he said. "Since you have served me so well." He called to the humans. "My friends, you're monkey has made one small request."
"And what is..." Advan began. There was a blinding flash of light and Advan finished his sentence standing with Javan, Lazarah, Jack, and Mr. Prickles in the courtyard of King Orvan. They had been transported instantly. Even the three remaining horses were there, pleasantly grazing on the grass as if nothing strange had occurred. All of their wounds had been healed, though the Mad Forester did not see fit to change their clothing. Still in the their doll costumes, the four of them, with the now normal monkey, approached King Orvan, who was sitting next to the fountain with Burgy at his feet.
"Ah, Bucky, Bucky, Bucky, and Bucky," Orvan said. "You have returned! Now, do a summersault and tell me I'm a pretty girl."
"Later, Sire," Javan said. "I brought you the rose petal."
"Oh, goody!" Orvan said. Javan gave the petal to the king. Orvan looked at the bright orange petal in wonder. "Now, what do I do with it. Burgy?"
The dog barked twice. Orvan nodded.
"Of course!" the king exclaimed. He rolled the petal into a thin cylinder and crammed the thing up his nose where it disappeared in a orange puff of smoke. Javan and the others hoped that this was what was supposed to be done with the thing and not further evidence of insanity. If they had gone through so much just to watch the petal wasted, they would probably drown the king in his own fountain.
Orvan fell backwards into the water and started shaking and screaming. The puff of orange smoke grew, eventually filling the sky above them, and then dissipated. Orvan stood up, brushed himself off, and looked at the four warriors.
"Javan," he said. "It's good to see you. And the noble Advan! I am honored."
"Sire?" Javan asked. "Are you you again?"
"Who else would I
be?" Orvan asked. “Why are you dressed in such ridiculous outfits?” Then he looked down at himself. "More importantly, would somebody mind telling me why I am dressed in a loin cloth?"
Javan laughed in joyful triumph and ran to embrace his old friend. The others gathered around as well. Even Mr. Prickles was jumping jubilantly into the air and shrieking.
"Javan!" Orvan yelled. "Tell me what is going on here!"
"There's plenty of time for that later," Javan said. "We have more pressing matters now, Sire. Stran has gathered an army and we must push them back now!"
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Before he had been robbed of his sanity, Orvan was a great soldier, and that was all he needed to hear to get himself focused. Within two days, he had assembled his army, now gratefully dressed in their old noble uniforms, and he and the four warriors who had restored him to his right mind led them into battle, pushing the Stranians back to their border in a glorious victory.
Once the battle was over, they explained to Orvan all the things that had happened since he had been cursed. He rectified every mistake he possibly could as soon as he could. He restored the Kingdom of Dargod to its former glory in less than a week and soon his praises were being sung throughout the kingdom once again.
Mr. Prickles moved into the academy with Javan and became a sort of mascot there. As long as that noble chimpanzee was alive, he was treated to as many bananas as he wanted and was befriended by nearly every student who came learn from Javan and Advan.
Jack and Lazarah both went onto become soldiers in Dargod's army, each quickly becoming generals and winning many victories. They fell in love and were married two years after their adventure in the Kingdom of the Northern Giants and named Javan the godfather of their first child, whom they named Tabby. Advan would never admit it, but he was pleased by the name and treated Tabby as if she was his own daughter.
THE END
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